Cities / Shanghai / The British International School Shanghai, Puxi
The British International School Shanghai, Puxi
Nord Anglia's flagship British school in west Shanghai, with strong IB results and a deep co curricular programme in Hongqiao. BISS Puxi runs the English National Curriculum into IGCSE and the IB Diploma on a campus in Huacao within Greater Hongqiao, the residential heartland of expat west Shanghai.
In brief
Nord Anglia's flagship British school in west Shanghai, with strong IB results and a deep co-curricular programme in Hongqiao.
BISS Puxi runs the English National Curriculum into IGCSE and the IB Diploma on a campus in Huacao within Greater Hongqiao, the residential heartland of expat west Shanghai. Andrew Lancaster leads as principal, COGNIA and CIS accredited, with around 1,000 students from more than 50 nationalities. Recent IBDP averages have sat well above the global mean, with three students hitting 45 in 2021. The Nord Anglia network supplies tie-ins with MIT, Juilliard and UNICEF that families with arts-leaning or STEM-leaning children tend to mention positively.
The recurring praise is the breadth of after-school activities and the leadership team. The recurring complaint, when there is one, is the cost and the size of the school next to smaller British alternatives like Wellington and Dulwich Puxi. For families weighing the British-curriculum field in west Shanghai, BISS, Wellington and Dulwich Puxi are the standard shortlist.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery | 3 | CN¥278,390 |
| Pre-Nursery | 3 | CN¥278,390 |
| Reception | 4 | CN¥278,390 |
| Year 1 | 5 | CN¥329,800 |
| Year 2 | 6 | CN¥329,800 |
| Year 3 | 7 | CN¥329,800 |
| Year 4 | 8 | CN¥329,800 |
| Year 5 | 9 | CN¥329,800 |
| Year 6 | 10 | CN¥329,800 |
| Year 7 | 11 | CN¥362,780 |
| Year 8 | 12 | CN¥362,780 |
| Year 9 | 13 | CN¥362,780 |
| Year 10 (IGCSE) | 14 | CN¥386,060 |
| Year 11 (IGCSE) | 15 | CN¥386,060 |
| Year 12 (IB/AP) | 16 | CN¥388,970 |
| Year 13 (IB/AP) | 17 | CN¥388,970 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee (non-refundable) | CN¥3,500 | |
| Enrolment Fee (non-refundable) | CN¥4,000 | |
| Resource Fee (refundable) | CN¥16,000 |
Reviews
- Online consensus puts BISS Puxi alongside Dulwich International, Wellington and Shanghai American School as a legitimate Shanghai international school choice for the British curriculum.
- Alumni describe a campus larger than what they were used to in Europe, with sport and music taken seriously; nightlife at Perry's and Scoreboard came up repeatedly as the social hub during their school years.
- One ex-student joked the abbreviation is unkind in spoken English but rated the school positively over BISS Pudong.
- Teachers list BISS Puxi as a dream NAE posting and distinguish it sharply from the bilingual Nord Anglia Chinese International School Shanghai (NACIS), which receives heavily negative teacher reviews.
- Parent reviews on directory sites are positive but sparse; the campus is in Minhang District, away from central Puxi.
Positives
- Tier in Shanghai. Sits in the British-curriculum top tier alongside Dulwich International and Wellington.
- Campus and co-curricular. Alumni highlight the size of the campus, sport and music programmes.
- Teacher draw. Listed by Nord Anglia teachers as a dream posting in the network.
Considerations
- Distinction from NACIS. Teachers stress the international school differs sharply from the negatively reviewed NACIS bilingual programme.
- Location. Sits in Minhang, near Shanghai American School Puxi, away from the central downtown.
Leadership
Andrew Lancaster
Andrew Lancaster is the Principal of The British International School Shanghai, Puxi. He holds a BSc (Hons), PGCE, and NPQH. Lancaster is a highly distinguished educator in Shanghai, having received both the Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award and the Magnolia Gold Award (2025) for his outstanding contributions to the city. Prior to his appointment as Principal in August 2019, he served as the school's Head of Secondary for four years, where he oversaw significant academic growth in IGCSE and IBDP results. He also served as Head of Key Stage 3 at the school. Lancaster is a BISS Puxi parent himself, with his children attending the school.
Accreditations
- Cognia 01
- Council of International Schools 02
Academic results
- IB Diploma Average 34.5 (2024)